Falling from the Sky
by Reba Jean
Summary: Something unexpected occurs when Chibi-Usa travels from Crystal Tokyo to the past. Drabble/ficlet series.
1. Chapter 1

Drabble 1

Humming tunelessly in time with his geta clattering on the hard dried-mud street, the red-haired swordsman strolled leisurely toward the dojo. His hands grasped the cloth covered bowl before him, careful not to spill the contents.

A shrill wail pierced the relative stillness of the hot sleepy afternoon. Her swift descent overcoming even battle-honed reflexes, Chibi-Usa tackled the redhead stranger to the ground.

Bowl overturned, tofu and water soaking into the dust, he sighed. "Oro? Are you all right, Miss?"

"Sorry," Chibi-Usa replied as she clambered off. "I guess I'm not in Crystal Tokyo anymore," she remarked in exasperation.


	2. Chapter 2

Drabble 2

Chibi-Usa dusted off her skirt and regarded the man still sitting in the dirt street. "Where am I anyway?"

Kenshin's eyes widened and a bemused expression crossed his face. "Why, you are in the city of Tokyo, Miss."

She turned around in a circle. While the streets were relatively full of people, they were weirdly dressed in old timey costumes. The buildings she saw were all low, only one or two stories mostly, and built of wood. There were no cars in the dusty dirt roads, only a few horse drawn wagons and carriages, and a few men riding horses.

Chibi-Usa stood with her hands on her hips and gave him a mocking glare in disbelief. "This back water village doesn't look like any part of Tokyo that I've ever seen."


	3. Chapter 3

Drabble 3

Kenshin blinked in surprise. "I assure you Miss, this is Tokyo. It is the most modern and progressive city in all of Japan."

Something must have gone wrong. She has obviously not gone where she intended. Chibi-Usa looked closely at the time key grasped in her hand. It has a discolored black and red streak wound around the shaft. It must have been damaged by the explosion and bright light that occurred as Pluto shoved her through the time portal.

"What is the date?" she asked the confused looking man before her.

"Why October 7, 1880," he replied, scratching his head. She was the one who landed on him; but she seemed to be the one most confused. Perhaps she had injured her head.

"It's almost dinner time. My wife should have the stew ready. She is a most wonderful cook. Would you like to come back home with me?"

Chibi-Usa nodded soberly. She had nowhere else to go. And she would have to figure out how to get to where and WHEN she needed to be.


	4. Chapter 4

Drabble 4

Kenshin and Chibi-Usa sat at the chabudai watching Kaoru as she ladled stew from the pot on the fire into bowls on a tray. A lanky frame appeared in the open doorway.

"Yahiko, join us for dinner," invited Kenshin. "Kaoru has made some of her famous stew for us to enjoy."

Yahiko's expression changed to one of horror. "No thanks," he commented, continuing to mutter under his breath, "No way, I'd poison myself with some of Uglie's tripe."

Kaoru grew red with anger. "You brat!" she screeched and began moving toward him brandishing her ladle.

Kenshin jumped up and sprang between them. "Now dear, you don't really want to get upset; you don't want to wake Kenji."

He narrowed his eyes and glared at Yahiko. "And you will apologize and sit down to dinner."

Chibi-Usa watched with interest as Yahiko slumped to a seat across from her. The boy had been very rude, which did not seem as if it were an unusual occurrence in this odd household. This was the first time the mild mannered man had shown any signs of backbone.

She sampled the stew. It was . . . interesting, different, and not in a good way. She shrugged; she had eaten worse, some of Usagi's failed attempts came to mind. Besides she was starving.

"No more for me," Yahiko stirred his untasted stew and put down his chopsticks. "Is there any tea?" Even Kaoru would have a hard time ruining that.


	5. Chapter 5

Drabble 5

"So let me get this straight. She fell out of the sky and landed on your head," Yahiko questioned Kenshin.

"And you couldn't get out of the way? Sounds like the 'Battousai' is getting slow in his old age," he snarked.

Turning to Chibi-Usa, "What are you? Some kind of evil witch? A magical girl?"

Kaoru intervened, "Leave her alone. Or are you practicing interrogation techniques to join the police force?"

Yahiko's ears reddened and he looked away, crossing his arms. As if!

Chibi-Usa looked more unhappy as the meal and sarcastic conversation continued. She just wanted to go home. She took out the "broken" time key and began spinning it on the table. "Take me home," she whispered. It remained stubbornly unresponsive.

Yahiko pointed and yelled, "Watch out! She's casting some kind of spell!" He jumped to his feet, grabbed his bokken, and threatened her with the point.


	6. Chapter 6

Drabble 6

Chibi-Usa slowly rose and stood with her hands on her hips glaring at the rude boy. What did he think he was doing with his stupid stick. As if he could scare her, Sailor Chibi Moon. "I am not a witch!."

Yahiko began to poke her. "She's really there," he commented.

"Stop that!" she growled, pulling the bokken out of his grasp and throwing it to the side.

Yahiko started toward her with his hands out stretched to grab. Chibi-Usa's red eyes glared. She had taken enough abuse from the stupid boy. Calling out, "Moon Prism Power," she transformed to Sailor Chibi Moon. She delivered a spinning kick to Yahiko, who fell with a satisfying thump to the floor.

With a swordsman's quickness, Kenshin jumped between the two angry youths. "There is no need for trouble. Sit back down and talk over tea." He stared pointedly at Yahiko and then at Sailor Chibi Moon.

Yahiko crawled over to his spot and sat cross-legged, grumbling under his breath. Chibi-Usa sat seiza across the table from Yahiko, crossed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue while Kenshin's back was turned.

Kaoru struggled to maintain an impassive face, her eyes giving away her amusement. As she poured tea she exclaimed, "She is a magical girl."


	7. Chapter 7

Drabble 7

Kaoru broke out laughing, defusing the tension. She bubbled over like her tea kettle on the brazier. Yahiko regarded her with a stupefied expression.

Chibi-Usa slumped and let her transform slip away. She couldn't believe she had allowed herself be so provoked that she transformed. She must be way more upset than she had realized. "I just want to go home. The time key isn't working right. This is not where I should be," she moaned.

Kenshin's eyes lit up. "I believe I know a place. There is a shrine in old Edo where magical things are rumored to occur. I can take you there in the morning."

Chibi-Usa was up early and quickly thanked Kaoru for her hospitality. The couple, with the addition of little Kenji, walked with her through the streets to a park in the old part of the city. A tori gate at the end of a long stone staircase marked the entrance to a shrine at the top of the hill.


	8. Chapter 8

Drabble 8

After a morning of conversation over tea, the old shrine keeper agreed to show them a mysterious old well on the property. It had a reputation going back hundreds of years as the abode of monsters and spirits.

The old man lifted the cover plastered with sutras off the well. "That's strange," he muttered.

A blue glow showed faintly when Chibi-Usa looked down the dark hole. She brought out her time key, which flashed to a brilliant silver. The glow in the well intensified. She felt herself drifting into the air. Kenshin blocked the old priest moving toward the well.

Chibi-Usa hurtled into the well, screaming as she fell. Silence arose as the shriek cut off abruptly. Kenshin looked down to see if she was hurt. The well was dark.

The priest fetched a lantern from a nearby shed. He lit the wick, tied a rope to the handle, and lowered it into the well. Both men and Kaoru peered into the well. The lantern rested on the dirt floor of the empty well. Kenshin shrugged and commented, "I hope she made it home okay."

~ End ~


End file.
